Denzel Washington’s son John David Washington has booked his first major acting role, signing on as a regular on the HBO pilot Ballers – a project we first alerted you to in May, when it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would star in the half-hour dramedy which centers on the lives of retired athletes living in Miami. 

Johnson is an athlete himself (he played college football, and was a WWF star), as is John David Washington, also a former college football player who had a stint in the NFL and has now turned to acting, following in his father’s (and sister’s) footsteps.

John David Washington will play Ricky, who’s described as a very competitive and spiritual professional athlete. 

Also Donovan Carter, a former college football player, has joined the cast as well, playing Vernon, a family-oriented professional athlete.

Ballers will be executive produced by Johnon’s Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg, with Stephen Levinson (Entourage) penning the script and executive producing as well.

Peter Berg will direct the pilot, which HBO is aiming to shoot this fall.

Washington, the son, previously appeared in his father’s 1992 drama, Malcolm X, in a small part, playing a student in a classroom. Meanwhile, his sister, Olivia Washington, recently appeared in Lee Daniels’ The Butler.